Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha in any shape, size or form.
Miroku looked up at the sky, about a week until the next full moon. It would be the sixth full moon this year. Then it hit him. "Oh, I promised to visit someone next week,"
"What?" asked Sango, surprised by his sudden outburst.
"Next week, on the full moon, I promised to visit an old childhood friend of mine."
"Really?" asked Shippo, taking interest.
"Well its not often Miroku lives up to his commitments, so we better go." said Sango calmly
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Anyway I think it would be interesting to see what company Miroku grew up with, that must of had some influence on what he's like now." added Kagome,
"What do you mean what i'm like now?!"
Both girls completely ignored him and nodded their heads in usion.
***Next morning***
"We need to get going now if we're going to get there on time" said Miroku, eager to leave.
"Isn't it a bit early?" yawned Kagome, rubbing her eyes.
It was a few hours before sunrise and everyone but Miroku was still half asleep. They set off down the road. It was pushing mid-afternoon and they still hadn't rest yet.
"Remind me why we're going with him again." asked InuYasha
"Well A, because he'll probably get sidetracked by some poor woman and B, because we want to meet Miroku's friend," explained Kagome
"Yeah, it could be interesting" added Sango,
***Six days later***
They stopped. They were high up on a mountain path, a mist had descended over them and they were finding it hard to breathe.
"Miroku... are we... nearly... there yet?" asked Sango, fighting for breath.
"We're here all ready... now if I... can just remember how..." he pondered in thought for a moment "Ah yes, now I remember!" he placed one hand up against the wall and held the other in its usual position, just in front of his chest. "Golden Apple of Strife, Chaos and Discord, let me enter!" A few fruitless moments passed and InuYasha was about to say something, but there was a loud rumbling noise and part of the rock face fell away, opening up into a dark cave entrance. Miroku turned round to them."Be warned, this person is a very good actor and illusionist, do not fall for any of their tricks." he said, deadly serious.
As they entered the mouth of the cave the entrance closed up and they were plunged into darkness, but soon after a torch flame ignited. Miroku took it out of its bracket in the wall and led them down the passage way. It was cold, dark and full of spiders, kagome didn't like it one bit. Eventually they came to a large oak door with a single paper seal stuck to the middle of it. The seal was unfamiliar to Sango, it didn't look like any seal she'd ever seen before. As if he'd done this a thousand times before, Miroku pushed open the door, it led into a hollow, dark, chamber.
"Eris?!" he called "Eris! I know your in here!"
The room was suddenly lit with a dim light from the torch brackets spaced evenly round the walls. The chamber was completely empty apart from the person at the other end of the room. They were chained to the wall by wrists and ankles, their limbs were spread out in a star shape, they leaning forwards slightly and they were raised three feet off the floor so there would be no chance of them being able to free themselves. As far as they could tell in this dim light, it was a girl, no older than Kagome. She wore a short white and pink kimono with gold sash, gold ribbons were wound in her dark hair and round her calves.
'What a surprise, its a girl...' thought Sango, realising this trip was a waste, but she couldn't help but wonder, why was the girl chained up?
"M-miroku...?" stuttered the girl, miroku took a step closer to her,"How could you leave me up here on my own for so long Miroku?"
"I'm not falling for that one,"
"What one? I thought you liked me Miroku?" tears brimmed inn her dark blue eyes
"Eris..."
"It's so cold Miroku, so cold and lonely... I get scared on my own..." the tears started spilling down her cheeks.
He stepped up close to her and cupped her face with his free hand "Its okay, I'm here now." he soothed, stroking her cheek, then he noticed that her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted. He forgot about everyone else in the room and started to lean forwards to kiss her. Then she tossed her head back and forwards again, so their foreheads made full force contact. Miroku was knocked to the ground with the force of it.
"Serves you damn well right, you cheating, lecherous, lying monk!" snapped the girl, suddenly changing her tune, then she caught sight of the others "Come here," she said. Without even thinking, they did. "Don't get involved with someone like him, you'll end up worse off than you could of been without."
"I hear that," agreed Sango, glancing at the still slightly dazed monk on the floor then back at the girl, she got the feeling they were going to get along great.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Eris, the sprite of discord, chaos, strife, war and laughter, pleasure to meet you all, and your names are?"
"I'm Kagome,"
"Hi there my name's Shippo,"
"InuYasha,"
"and I'm Sango, and this is Kirara." she said , holding up the two tailed cat.
"Hold on don't you mean spirit, not sprite?" asked InuYasha
"No I damn well don't! I know what I am and how to pronounce it, dumb ass! and I. Am. A. Sprite!" she yelled in InuYasha's face, making him retreat behind Kagome.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Miroku?" asked Sango
"Well, long story short, I was causing blissful chaos, Miroku's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was too weak and too much of a lech to kill me so his family have had me sealed me up here for the last six years."
"You don't look like you could cause too much trouble by your self..." said InuYasha
"Looks can be deceiving," said Miroku, finally pushing himself off the floor and standing in front of Eris "You haven't changed at all," he said to her
"You're the same pervert you've always been, so whats new? Gotten some poor woman pregnant yet?"
"No!" gasped Miroku, "What about you? Tricked any lost travelers lately?"
"You know me freckles, of course I have. There was this one nice bloke, he brought me food and water and he still does, every week."
"Freckles?" giggled Sango and Kagome.
"Yeah, between the ages of ten and fifteen Miroku had the cutest freckles I'd ever..."
"I hate to interrupt the reunion," said InuYasha sarcastically "but if this is the only reason we're here can we leave?"
"Yes we should leave, it will be getting dark soon and I don't fancy finding my way off these mountains in the dark, especially when every demon on it obeys Eris." said Miroku.
"Oh come on don't leave me! We were just having a nice conversation!" begged Eris "I'll clear your way down if you just stay the night!"
"No Eris, I'm not the little kid I was last time we met, I won't fall for your tricks any more." said Miroku stubbornly.
"All right then..." she said in defeat "Seeing its my birthday though can I just have one wish?"
"Depends..."
"Can I kiss you?" she asked
Miroku blushed with embarrassment. Sango flushed with anger. InuYasha and Shippo looked dumb-struck. Kagome laughed nervously.
"Um, sure..." he muttered, tilting his head up towards hers
"What!?" cried Sango "Miroku, you're not seriously...?"
Their lips met, Miroku had only intended it to be a quick peck on the cheek and was horrified when he realised he couldn't pull away. Something crunched beneath his foot. Bones. Human Bones. Miroku remembered what happened to the travelers that got lost on this mountain, they had the life sucked out of them. Then he started to panic, but he felt himself go limp and she let go of him. He colapsed to the floor.
"Huh? Miroku!" cried Sango, catching him just before his head hit the floor.
The empty space of the cavern was filled with the echo's of Eris' laughter. "Foolish mortals!" she shouted "So easily tricked." she pulled at her chains untill they creaked with the strain, with a deafening snap the chains broke and she was free. "Later!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran through the open door.
InuYasha nearly got up to follow her but the semi-conscious Miroku grabbed hold of his arm."No..."
"Miroku, she's getting away!" he protested
"Wait..."
They did a few seconds later Eris ran in through the open door way, she looked genuinely confused and ran back out again. Moments later the same thing happened. And Again. And Again. They turned to Miroku as Eris continued her efforts to escape.
"I'm ready for an explanation," said InuYasha
"Me too," agreed Shippo
Miroku smiled "You can't get in or out without a guide, there is only one guide, me."
Eris ran back in again, this time looking extremely frustrated, she tried again.
"So the corridor will just keep leading her back to here?" asked Sango
"Exactly right," answered Miroku, Eris ran back in, she now looked dangerously pissed off "Eris!" called Miroku, beginning to get his strength back and pushing himself into sitting position.
she swung round "What!" she yelled, Miroku tapped a finger to the base of his neck, she gasped, hand flying to her neck "You wouldn't dare..."
"Wouldn't I?" he asked her
she suddenly looked petrified
"Concordia Harmonia!" he yelled
Eris was pulled towards the ground neck first, just as Kagome's 'sit' command did with InuYasha. She peeled her face off the ground and spat dirt out of her mouth "I hate you." she said through her teeth.
Miroku smiled.